


The Enchanted Prince

by leighwrites



Series: Gift Fics [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Fluff for the most part, M/M, birthday present for the lovely amy, dash of angst for plot, fairytale AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24251380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leighwrites/pseuds/leighwrites
Summary: “Some of your requirements?” Edward parrots, raising a brow with a skeptical look on his face. “You gave them one, it was ‘male’ and they thought you were joking at first. Maybe you need to expand this list of requirements so they can find you just what you are looking for.”“I already found what I am looking for.”Edward shakes his head, skepticism turning into disbelief and a frown etches its way onto his face. “I told you - no.”
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: Gift Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711624
Comments: 5
Kudos: 97





	The Enchanted Prince

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eddiefuckinkaspbrak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eddiefuckinkaspbrak/gifts).



There once was a Prince who was unlike most others. Most of his station were arrogant and unkind, often only agreeing to marry the most attractive suitor the land had to offer. They were shallow and cruel. Richard was not like those other Princes. He was kind to all of those in the castle and even outside of it. There were a number of occasions when Richard had been caught sneaking out of the castle to mingle with those outside of it. He was friendly and trusting, a little too much to the point where even his personal advisor had scolded him on many occasions for his antics; not that he ever listened. 

The only person he ever  _ really  _ listened to was his best friend; Edward.

Edward had lived in the castle for his entire life but that didn’t mean his life was  _ good  _ because of it. His mother had died during childbirth, and Edward had only known his father for eight years before he too was taken away from him by a sickness. ‘Lovebird syndrome’ the other castle staff had called it. From what he’d picked up from them, Lovebirds could not live without their mate and wasted away until they died. Many of the staff had called it romantic. Edward did not find it romantic. He did not understand how something that had taken his father away from him and left him in the care of Oscar Bowers was remotely romantic.

Oscar had raised Edward on his father’s request, though not the way that his father had wanted him to be raised. Oscar made sure to keep Edward within the castle with a roof over his head and food in his stomach, but he did not treat him with the same kindness that he did his own son, Henry, who he trained every day to one day be a Knight like himself and gave everything to. Edward was small, and to someone like Oscar, that meant he was weak. Edward was always kept busy being sent all over the castle to help the staff, rarely ever having time to himself, even at meal times. 

If he was lucky, and he often was, Elfrida was usually still in the kitchen when he could finally eat, and she would scold anyone who would dare to try and force Edward into another job before he was done eating. Edward liked Elfrida and often found himself wondering why  _ she  _ hadn’t been the one his father had chosen to take care of him, though part of him often reasoned it was because his father wanted him to have a male role model in his life. Elfrida’s daughter was more of a sibling to Edward than Henry ever was. 

Beverly was always skulking about the castle somewhere, sneaking him food on the days he was ripped away from his meals because Elfrida had not been there to stop it. Edward didn’t complain about it though, because Oscar knew the best ways to keep Edward compliant and keep him from running to the Prince who had developed what Oscar personally thought to be a very unhealthy bond with him. Oscar knew that like his father, Edward liked to read and learn things. It was the only pleasure Oscar allowed Edward to keep; three hours every three days in the castle library to read. 

“You know, you really should be careful up there.”

Edward jumps at the sudden voice, wobbling dangerously on the ladder he’s standing on to return his book to its high shelf. He manages to grab the edges of the ladder quickly and stop himself from falling, looking down to find the speaker. He doesn’t  _ need  _ to look really. He knows the Prince’s voice anywhere. “You really should not sneak up on people. I was fine until you decided to announce you were here, Richard.”

Richard grins up at him, reaching out to grab the ladder and keep it steady as Edward climbs down from it. “You sound just like my mother. How many times do I have to ask you to call me Rich?”

Edward reaches the foot of the ladder where he grins up at him once he’s on solid ground. “At least once more, _ Highness. _ ”

Richard grimaces, his nose wrinkling at the title. “When I become King I am going to ban the use of that title.”

“You have to marry first and from what I hear from Lady Beverly, you keep refusing every suitor that your father manages to find for you. Your parents go through a lot of trouble to pick out just what you like, Richard.”

Richard hums at that, almost thoughtfully, and an easy smile makes its way to his face. “I know they do. However, I want to be able to choose whoever I want for myself. I do not want to choose from a group they find that match some of my requirements.”

“Some of your requirements?” Edward parrots, raising a brow with a skeptical look on his face. “You gave them _ one _ , it was ‘male’ and they thought you were joking at first. Maybe you need to expand this list of requirements so they can find you just what you are looking for.”

“I already found what I am looking for.”

Edward shakes his head, skepticism turning into disbelief and a frown etches its way onto his face. “I told you - no.”

“But Edward you know they -”

“ _ No  _ Richard. How many times do we have to go over this? You have to marry your station or close to it. That’s the  _ law _ .”

“It is a stupid law Edward! Besides, technically you  _ are _ close to my station. Your father was literally the royal advisor before he died.”

“Yes, he was, Richard, but  _ I _ am  _ not _ . I am just a worker in this castle. Now was there a reason you were skulking around in here scaring me half to death or are you just trying to find a way to lure me to your bed again?”

“Hey, it is not luring if you pursue someone for a year and woo them. And as I recall,  _ Edward _ , you were the one on top almost every time.” Richard enjoys the flush that comes to Edward’s face, continuing quickly before Edward can scold him. “However, as you are being absolutely difficult, there is another reason I came here. It’s hatching.”

Edward can’t contain his excitement. Unknown to those outside of the Kingdom, the royal family go by the name of  _ Dragon Whisperers _ . On their twenty-first birthday, they received a single dragon egg. To them, the Dragon was their child, and Richard received his egg just a few weeks ago. Since then, he’s been eagerly awaiting the day it would hatch, and the second he’d seen the egg wobble slightly, he’d taken off to find Edward. 

They make their way to the dragon wing of the castle, ignoring the strange looks from some of the higher stationed people in the castle who always felt Edward was  _ too  _ low on the chain to be hanging around with their Prince. They sit by side, watching the cracks form across the silver surface until the dragon finally pops its head through the top of the egg with a yawn, toppling its oval prison over so it can crawl out. It’s important for Richard to be its first contact, to associate Richard as  _ theirs _ , so Richard holds his hand out, allowing the dragon to sniff at it. It’s tail wags, head lifting to nudge at Richard’s hand, spreading its wings out either side of its body.

There’s something in this moment watching the way Richard handles the dragon that stirs something deep inside of Edward. The dragon is the size of a large lizard right now, climbing the length of Richard’s arm and making a path along his shoulder and up the side of his head. It settles on top of the dark curls with a yawn, burying its face into them with a soft exhale. Richard smiles, reaching up for the dragon and securing his hands around it to pluck it from his head. He holds it out to Edward who is careful when he takes it, and the dragon starts to sniff him, memorizing the scent of the other man.

“Female.” Richard says, pointing at the small horns that protrude from the dragon’s head. “The horns are more curved than male. They’re more of a spiral.”

“Wow, you really took your classes on dragons seriously.” Edward says, looking down at the dragon that’s now climbing up his arm. The claws on her wings dig into his skin to keep herself balanced and to stop her from falling, but it doesn’t hurt. It tickles more than anything. “I never thought you would take  _ anything _ this seriously.”

“I take you seriously too - us. I  _ want  _ to be with you. I can work something out with my parents. They loved your dad. They love  _ you _ . They know about us. I could never hide you from them. I am sure they would allow it if I asked… but only if that is what you want.”

Edward stares at Richard, lets his words register and sink into his brain, and he can’t help but smile. He feels the dragon leap from his shoulder to his lap, sees her head back to the nest from the corner of his eye, and suddenly he’s surging forward, kissing Richard in a way they’ve never kissed before. It’s not long before they’re on their feet again and Richard is pushing Edward backwards to the room where they keep the extra bedding for the dragon nests, and by the time they’re there, Edward has turned them around so he can push Richard down onto the pile of bedding as he kicks the door shut behind them. 

It’s not the first time they’ve done it here in this room. It’s been enough times that they’ve stored away things they need behind a loose brick in the wall that no one knows about since only the royal family and Edward ever come down here. Edward is careful, he always is, and not just with the prep. He can’t leave marks anywhere viewable. Most of them are usually left on Richard’s hips or thighs, places that are easily covered by his clothes. If it were up to Edward, there would be no marks at all, but Richard likes the sting that comes with the bruises - he likes to feel Edward on him for days after they’re intimate. 

Edward would be lying if he said he didn’t find it hot.

Richard is always impatient when they’re like this, and Edward is constantly slapping a hand away from him with a playful scowl and a whispered ‘you need to learn patience  _ my liege _ ’, and as much as Richard hates titles, he loves it when they’re used like this - when they come with the aroused bite to his hip. He’s never found anything hotter. Edward likes to take his time with him, too. He likes to  _ really  _ prep Richard before they do anything else. He likes to make sure he’s going to cause as little discomfort as possible. If he hurts him to much, people will notice, something he knows from experience of one of their first few times. 

Richard had been forced to cover up what they’d been doing by claiming it was a riding accident when he’d been out that morning with Stanley and that was how Stanley found out about them after covering for Richard. Edward was relieved when he’d told him he wouldn’t say anything, and even if it was only  _ one  _ other person that knew about them, it didn’t feel like a suffocating secret anymore. Stanley often covered for them, saying he needed Edward to help him with some personal things whenever Richard had decided he wanted to spend time with him in the spur of the moment, even if it was something simple like going for a walk in which Stanley was present. If it hadn’t been for Stanley, Edward knew they would have been found out by now. Stanley was always in the shadows making sure their time together wasn’t interrupted, and sometimes Edward wondered just how much about their secret life Richard told him.

Richard’s back arches from the pile of bedding under him as Edward hits that place inside of him that makes a jolt of pleasure shoot up his spine, and his legs curl tightly around Edward’s waist to try and push him deeper. They’re both covered in a sheen of sweat now, Edward’s hair curling and sticking to his face as he presses an arm into the bedding next to Richard’s head. He loves to see Richard like this; dangling right on the edge of his release with his legs wound tightly around Edward’s waist for support. It’s a silent begging for him to push him over the edge, to push him into that blissful state they both crave.

And Edward does. Every single time. It leaves them a panting sweaty mess with Edward’s forehead resting on Richard’s shoulder while Richard runs his fingers through the damp golden hair. “So is that a yes, Edward?”

Edward hums tiredly, raising his head from Richard’s shoulder to look him in the eye. “Is what a yes Rich?”

“If I talk to my parents - if they allow it - this - us - that we can stop hiding what we are - that you will marry me.”

Edward can’t envision any scenario in which they would ever say yes to something like this. Sure, they may have loved his father while he was still alive, and even  _ him _ now, but that does not mean they will allow something like this; for their son, the  _ Prince _ to choose  _ anyone _ at all that he wants. The laws are pretty clear on things like this - they always have been - but that won’t stop Edward from at least humouring Richard. From clinging onto that small thread of hope that his lover has. “Sure Richard. That is a yes.”

Richard grins, brushing some of the hair away from where it’s stuck to Edward’s face. “You still seem unsure about it.”

“I do not see them allowing it. If by some small chance they  _ do  _ however, then yes. I will marry you.” Edward pauses, brings a hand close to Richard’s face, and smoothes out the dark curls on the pillow that have become a mess. “You know I would right away.”

Richard tightens his arms around Edward, leaning up to kiss him quickly. “You  _ do _ realise that I will absolutely hold you to that, yes?”

Edward smiles, dips his head to Richard’s neck and presses a firm kiss there, humming against his skin quietly. “I know.”

Richard returns the smile, fingers tracing up Edward’s spine. “Good, because I am about to relentlessly bother them until they say yes.”

Edward rolls his eyes and the smile on his face is something fonder now. Richard is going to drive his parents insane with this.

It is common knowledge that sorcerers are easily offended, and it’s even easier to completely anger them, but King Wentworth does not let that knowledge phase him when it comes to banishing his magician for unethical uses of magic. The safety of his people comes before his own, it always has and always would. Robert Gray did not go quietly though. Like most offended and angered sorcerers, there is a threat - a threat of taking what the King loves most in return.

It is a month after that when the Prince goes missing while he’s out in the town with Beverly. The distraught woman can’t even remember what happened fully. One minute Richard was there next to her, and the next he was gone like he’d vanished into thin air. His dragon is taken too, and it isn’t until a week later that the sorcerer pays a visit, takes credit for the crime he’s committed, and strikes a deal with a grieving king.

One task. 

There is one task that must be completed at  _ his _ castle where he is keeping the Prince imprisoned and completely unharmed. It sounds like a simple task when it’s explained to them. Robert has placed Richard and his dragon under an enchanted sleep that will only lift once the task is complete. If the task is completed they have his word that the Prince may return safely home and he will take his banishment. The King is allowed seven attempts. If all seven fail, however, the King is to hand over the crown and the Kingdom to him.

Robert returns to his ruined castle once the King agrees, willing to do anything for his son. He strides up the broken staircase into the throne room which is in disarray and follows the worn red carpet to where three veils stand in the place where thrones once sat, each one unmoving and touching the floor. There are shadows seen through the white material, each one projecting the image of a person, but they are not all people. Under one is the Prince, sleeping soundly but able to hear everything around him. Under another is his Dragon, Ashley, who is now in Robert’s control as long as the enchantment is in place. The third, however conceals death itself; a powerful tempest of instant death that Robert has somehow managed to gain control over for the duration of the enchantment.

Robert smiles, it’s cruel and twisted, and he reaches out to pat a hand against the face of the middle veil, bending it in to show the shape of a person under it. “You might as well get comfortable. No one is going to be able to save you. You are mine. Forever.”

With another patronizing pat to Richard’s face, the sorcerer turns to leave. His plan is full proof. No one can hope to guess which one of the veils hides the prince under it when all of them project the same image to the outside world, and those who guess wrong will not live to tell others which choices  _ not  _ to make. He will give them one hour to mull over their choice, but even that will not help them in the end, and after the failed seventh attempt, he wins. 

He gets the Kingdom, an imprisoned Prince forever, and the control of something that those who have met the royal family can only dream of having. Control over a dragon that will answer to his every whim - destroy every enemy that dare to try and take his Kingdom. It is something he has only seen in action once, when the Queen herself had used her dragon to protect the Kingdom from an attack. It was the greatest thing he’d ever seen, and it was a power that he wanted for himself which lead to his unethical uses of magic - attempting to bewitch the Queen’s Dragon. 

It has taken him six months to perfect this spell - to get control over the  _ Prince’s  _ Dragon, and even if it only lasts while the Prince is enchanted, that is enough for now until he knows how to control her  _ permanently _ . 

The Kingdom almost falls into a panic. 

They love their royal family - their Prince - and something like this hits them harder than anyone could have ever imagined. The King spends a lot of time in the private burial grounds of the castle now - where those who live and work there die. Untrusting of the Sorcerer, and that he might come back, the King is always with a guard, even here, though Michael does not step into the burial grounds themselves. Whenever the King comes here it is a private matter, one that should not be disturbed. Most assume that he comes here to seek the wisdom of his parents, but in reality he comes from the wisdom of his former advisor, his best friend.

He comes here for Frank.

He is not surprised to see that Edward there. He gets very little time away from his castle duties and it is spent either here or in the library if he is not with his son. He knows that Richard being taken affects more than just himself, it affects this young man too, the only person Wentworth has  _ really  _ seen his son connect with. When Edward realises he is there, he scrambles to his feet, prepares to show the proper respect fit for a King, but Wentworth holds a hand out, presses it to Edward’s shoulder, and stops the respectful bow before it can even start.

“Do not.” Though his voice is calm, Wentworth’s eyes betray him, showing his panic and despair. “I am here not as a King, but a parent - one who has lost his son.” Edward doesn’t speak, starts to leave to allow the King his privacy, but the King steers his attention back to the grave. “Stay. You have every right to be here.”

“I should not. Oscar -”

“ - will not say anything about this.” Wentworth finishes, finally removing his hand from Edward’s shoulder. “If I have to  _ order  _ you to stay here, then I shall Edward.” Edward falls silent, eyes fixed on the headstone in front of him. “He was a great man. I know you know very little of him, but there was not a problem that he could not solve for me and that is why I never took another advisor. Do you know why I put you under Oscar’s care?”

“No sire.”

“It keeps you moving around the castle like we do. It allows us to see that you are okay at any given moment. Elfrida would have been a better choice but she would have kept you to the kitchens.” The King falls silent for a moment before he speaks again, tearing his eyes from the grave. “Edward, what would you do right now if you were me?”

Edward considers it for a moment, shifts almost nervously on the spot, and then clears his throat to speak. “I would ask the man that I have been training to be my son’s advisor for help on what to do. Stanley is capable. I… I would let him help me find his friend.”

Wentworth takes a step back, prepares to leave the area, and glances back over his shoulder as he reaches the entrance of the burial ground. “Come. I wish for you to stay with me today. Oscar can handle one day without you I am sure. Maybe even longer. He is going to be very busy for a while.”

Edward doesn’t ask, following the King from the burial grounds. Michael doesn’t say anything as they pass him and he starts to walk behind them, ever the silent protector who keeps five steps behind them while Wentworth makes Edward walk next to him so they can talk. It is the most Edward has ever _ dared  _ to talk to the King, and that’s only because he insists on asking Edward question after question.

It’s two days later when word spreads around the castle that Stanley and Michael are to get the seven best knights prepared. Ideally Michael would be the first to send, but it is Michael’s job to guard the King at all times. His unit never leaves the castle, so they are forced to find seven knights outside of it, the ones who protect the walls and roam the city. Everyone claims to be the best, claims that they can save the Prince and bring him back.

Because people say anything when they know they can claim  _ any  _ reward.

Stanley and Michael are able to tell the liars apart though. Michael has been watching them for years. He knows who is strong enough to save the prince and who isn’t. Patrick is the first to go and attempt the rescue of the Prince, and the King gives him two months to find Robert’s castle and bring his son home. When Patrick does not return, Belch is next, given the same length of time and equipment for the quest.

Each passing month takes its toll on the King. Each person that does not returns shoves worry so far down into his system that it makes him ill. Edward gets it now, not in the same way, but he gets how your love for someone can drive you into sickness. He understands how this had managed to happen to his parents. For the first time in his life, Edward understands, even though it’s only a little, how fatal lovebird syndrome really is, and how it doesn’t just affect the tie between lovers, but parents and children too.

The Queen remains strong. She takes charge during her husband’s sickness. It isn’t that she doesn’t love her son. It’s her love for her son that keeps her strong. She knows that she must remain strong - to ensure that people are still being sent to find and rescue him. Edward admires her strength and the way she takes charge. Her face betrays nothing, always looking determined. Edward has a feeling that if she didn’t think it would cause harm to her son, she would tear up the whole continent to find him herself.

Edward spends his time with Stanley. He’s either running around the castle delivering things to Michael or he’s just spending time keeping Stanley company. The lack of Edward doesn’t bother Oscar who is busy training Henry, sure that his son could easily bring the Prince home, though Stanley has expressed concerns about just  _ what  _ the man would want as his reward - especially when the King is willing to give  _ anything  _ to the one who succeeds.

“I feel like I may be going about this the wrong way.” Stanley mutters one day, shifting through papers and looking them over. “Perhaps sending brute strength is not the best way to do this.”

Edward, who is high up on ladder returning some of Stanley’s books to the shelves, steadies himself with one hand and clutches the remaining books to his chest as he looks down to where Stanley is sitting on the floor in a mass of books and papers. “Who else could you possibly send to do something like this if not a Knight?”

“That is the problem right there.” Stanley says, grabbing one of his open books and looking at one of the pages. “I have been advising the King and Queen based on what we usually have to face but we are dealing with a sorcerer here and that requires logic over strength.”

Edward shakes his head and returns to shoving the books back where they belong. “Well unless you can find a Knight who uses logic in Oscar’s rabble I think you might be screwed.”

Stanley chuckles, the sound almost humourless as he places the book down and picks up another. “Judging by the way Oscar trains his men there is no logic there.”

“Michael turned out fine.” Edward points out, returning the final book to its place before he climbs back down the ladder. “Oscar trained  _ him  _ remember.”

“Michael was logically  _ before  _ Oscar trained him, thankfully.” Stanley turns a page in his book, humming in thought. “Maybe I should just send you.”

“Stan-”

“Joking, Edward.” Stanley tilts his head back to look at Edward. “I worry about him.”

Edward knows better than to think he’s talking about Michael. Stanley  _ does  _ worry about Michael overworking himself, but he worries more about Richard. Four people have been sent to get him, and none of them have returned. The fifth is still out there, and their month is almost up. Edward can only  _ imagine  _ what’s happened to them.

“I worry about him too.”

Stanley’s expression softens. In all the time he’s been worrying about the Prince and trying to find a way to bring him home, he’s never stopped to considered what Edward is going through. He shoves some of his books aside and pats the space next to him for Edward to take a seat which he does. “How are you holding up?”

“I-” Edward pauses and heaves a sigh. “Not good.”

“Let it out once in a while, Edward.” Stanley closes his book and tosses it to one side, reaching for the next one. “Even if you just let it out to me and no one else.”

“I just… I miss him… and I...”

“You have no one to really talk to about it since the two of you are still sneaking around. Except,” Stanley pauses, shifting slightly and nudging his elbow into Edward’s side, “you do. I have known about the two of you since I had to cover for a very suspicious limp. You can come to me with this. He asked me many times to make sure you are always okay if he is not around.”

“Is that why you keep stealing me from Oscar?”

Stanley rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face as he thumbs through his new book. “You might have grown on me a little bit too. You are very good for him. I have never seen him so invested in anything the way he is with you.”

The fifth person does not return from their task, and Edward is forced to watch the Queen’s resolve waver. She’s hurting, more than Edward thought possible. She almost breaks right there in the throne room as she asks Oscar who the next candidate is. Oscar assures her that the next one will definitely bring her son back as he presents his own son to her. Edward has stopped caring  _ who  _ brings Richard home as long as he  _ comes  _ home alive.

Henry sets out bright and early to find Richard and bring him back home, equipped with a horse, a sword, and a shield for his journey. When he says goodbye to his father, he promises that he will return with the missing Prince within a week. He already knows the reward he wants - what he’s going to ask for the moment he returns. He wants money, and higher more powerful station for his efforts.

Henry, cocky as he travels, makes his way to the abandoned castle where the Prince is being held. He shoes singing birds from their perches by clanging his shield against the branches as he passes, not caring in the least that he’s distressing them. He crushes an anthill rather than go around it when he comes across it, and not even men dare to get in his way after the few that do are slain for it. He comes to a clear pond where twelve ducks swim happily. Henry lures them to the shore and kills eleven, but the twelfth manages to fly away before it’s able to meet its demise. There’s no actual need for it. It’s senseless murder, but that’s just the way he is - how he’s always been. 

Finally, Henry is met by a beautiful beehive, and it also meets its demise just like anything else that Henry’s come across as he breaks it with his sword. Henry’s joy is to plague and destroy the innocent creatures, not for the benefit of a safe travel, but out of sheer evil. Henry is  _ not  _ a good person, as does the world work sometimes, and he’s clearly not a good choice to entrust the safety of a royal family member with. 

He reaches the abandoned and in ruin castle where the Prince is held just as the sun is setting behind it, and he knocks violently on the closed gate. Everything is quiet here, an eerie kind of quiet, until at last the gate is opened, revealing a man with fiery red hair.

“May I help you?” His voice is oddly soft, and yet also sounds bored as he peers up at him with eyes so yellow it’s like looking directly into the sun.

“I have come for the Prince. Let me in.”

“Come back at dawn, I will wait for you here.”

Henry, frustrated at being turned away, begrudgingly returns at dawn as the man told him to, and he is already waiting for him at the gate. He allows him entrance, leading him up the stairs to the throne room where the three images of a person all wrapped in thick white veils stand. 

“Make sure that you choose right. The Prince is under one, and under the others, there is death. I will let you think on it an hour.”

Henry doesn’t have a clue which of the veils has the Prince under it when the man returns, but he is a cocky man with only glory on his mind so he shouts at random that his decision is the one on the right. The man waves his hand, throwing the right veil away under which Richard’s dragon, standing tall. The dragon launches forward, slamming Henry into the ground and the man leaves, the sounds of flesh tearing and bones breaking echoing behind him. He will never understand why the King continues to send people to save his son when it it is so much easier to just hand him the crown, though after the next failure the crown will automatically become his so it’s of little concern to him.

When henry does not return with the Prince after two months, the Queen’s resolve finally breaks and she is forced to leave the next choice to Michael. She can no longer get her hopes up and no longer knows what to do. Six people have been sent out to retrieve her son, and all of them have failed. Stanley refuses to send another out until he is sure he’s picked the perfect person to bring their Prince home. This is their last shot. After this, they don’t know what will happen to Richard along with the sorcerer gaining the whole kingdom under his control.

“Who would you have sent, Edward?” Stanley asks randomly on a day he’s managed to claim Edward to be his personal ward again and keep him well away from an angry grieving Oscar who is lashing out at those under his care. “I feel that Michael and I may have been suggesting the wrong people the whole time.”

Edward is surprised that he’s being asked anything about this like the day in the library, like the opinion of some lowly castle worker actually matters. “I… I would not have sent a Knight to do this. All  _ they _ know is combat and  _ you _ do not know what this task is. It… we talked about this before. You said you should have probably sent someone who is very… logical.”

“Yes but the only logical Knight in this place is Michael and he cannot go. His duty is to stay here and protect the King and Queen.” Stanley hums in thought, holding his hands behind his back as they walk down an empty hallway. “Do you know anything of combat, Edward?”

Edward shrugs, peering around them to make sure there was no one around before he speaks. “I know enough. There are times that Oscar makes me fight Henry for his training.”

Stanley raises a brow at that. “He  _ makes  _ you? Edward that is not your job. There are specific people trained to help train the Knights so they are up to scratch. You should not be put anywhere near that kind of environment.”

Edward shakes his head as they turn a corner into another empty hallway. “He is my guardian, Stanley, and what he says to do, I do.”

“Always following the rules… I wish the Prince would have done that once in a while. Perhaps he would not have been kidnapped if he did.” Stanley shakes his head, but there is a slight smile on his face. This  _ is  _ Richard’s closest friend outside of Edward, and Edward knows he misses him - that he can never really be upset with him. “You are intelligent man, no? Richard tells me you are always reading.”

Edward furrows his brows at that. “I suppose I am but why -”

“If I gave you a sword would you go? I may have been doing this wrong. Maybe I should have been sending someone like you - someone who has both combat and logic in them.”

“The King and Queen would never let me go, Stanley. They would never think someone like me could do this. And what if I-”

“I do no think you would fail at this.” Stanley admits, stopping suddenly and turning to face him. “You know the Prince better than anyone - even myself I would wager. If this task happens to be something  _ about  _ Richard, I know you will not fail it. You would be able to bring him home.”

“You… want me to go? This is your  _ last  _ shot Stanley. If I fail this -”

“I know, I know how high the stakes are, Edward, but I really think you can do this - that you can be the one to bring him home. At least… think about it?”

Edward doesn’t need to think about it. Richard is the man he’s in love with, and Stanley is offering him a chance to do something no one else has managed to do, with high faith that he can do it. A sorcerer doesn’t fight. Edward knows that much from his reading. They use tricks and illusions to win, and that’s something Edward knows he can handle. “I will go.”

Stanley wakes Edward when it’s still dark. He has a bag over his shoulder and a sheathed sword in one hand. They have to do this now, because there’s no way that anyone, especially Oscar, would allow  _ Edward  _ to go no matter how hard Stanley presents the case of why he should be allowed to. Edward dresses quickly and follows Stanley through the empty hallways. The only people loitering around now are a few members of the castle staff and some of the guards, but they’re from Michael’s regiment and they’re aware of what is happening.

Stanley takes him the edge of the town, pulling the string of the back over Edward’s head and holding out the sword to him. “It was the lightest one Michael had. There is enough food in your bag to last you three days. Beat the task, Edward. Beat the task, whatever it is, and bring him home to us.”

“I can only try Stanley. I still think I will fail at this.”

“Maybe you will succeed Edward. Maybe you will be the one who can do what the others could not and bring him home. I believe you can.”

“But what if I… die or something?” Edward asks while Stanley ties the sword to his waist.

“Then you will not have to live in a kingdom run by  _ him _ .” Stanley reaches out and gives Edward’s shoulder a squeeze. “Now go before someone catches us or something. You can do this. I know you can.”

Edward isn’t as sure as Stanley is, but he’s going to try. He  _ has  _ to try. They share another quick goodbye and part, Edward heading for the forest while Stanley heads back for the castle. He does not know what Stanley will tell them when he returns. He just focuses on what he needs to do. He does not know that when Stanley returns to the castle he tells the King and Queen that he has sent the final person out to do the task. 

The King isn’t happy with Stanley’s choice. He doesn’t want Edward in that position - in that kind of danger. It breaks the promise to his friend. But Stanley assures him that Edward can do this - that he’ll be fine. The King remains unsure and just hopes that at the least, Edward will return alive unlike everyone else they’ve sent to save his son.

A day after setting out, Edward’s already regretting his decision to do this. He has no idea where to go or what he’s supposed to do. He wanders aimlessly through the woods that Henry has already passed through, and there is a group of birds singing in their perch, hopping around and fluttering their wings. It’s a good comfort in the dark woods, and Edward finds himself staying to listen to them for a while. They move when he does, gliding from branch to branch boldly as they have not been shooed away like before.

“I imagine this place would be a lot more horrifying if not for you.” Edward says as one of the birds flutters down to his shoulder where it resumes its song and hops about. Edward’s read many books on birds at Stanley’s recommendation. He knows them to be intelligent - that they see everything that’s happened. They’re the silent watchers of the Kingdom. “Do  _ you  _ know where I’m supposed to go to find the Prince?”

The bird chirps happily and takes flight, stopping to make sure that the young man is following it. Edward  _ does _ follow, careful not to disturb the ants as he does who are busy trying to complete the reconstruction of their home. He wants to help them, but there is nothing he can do other than herd away any beast who dares to try and hinder them by attacking. He does not slay anything that comes across his path the way Henry had. Edward is intelligent. He  _ knows  _ animals and how they work. He knows how to scare and steer them away without death.

He arrives at the pond the following midday, where now only one duck swims on the surface. Like Henry, he lures it to the shore while he eats, but not to kill, only to feed it. His bird companion is long gone, but Edward asks the duck the same question and it quacks twice before swimming up the pond towards a small river that breaks away from it. Edward follows the duck, coming across the beehive which the bees are attempting to rebuild. Edward picks them some fresh flowers, moving them closer to the hive so the bees do not have to keeping traveling far for the pollen they need before he takes off after the duck again.

He reaches the castle at midafternoon, the duck swimming off back towards the forest. He nervously raises a hand, knocking at the gate three times. The gate opens almost immediately and the same man greets him. He gives Edward a once over. Surely this was a joke. The King would have never sent someone who was not a Knight.

“What is it you want boy?” The man asks, voice low and almost gravelly.

Edward is not nervous anymore, and he does not fear this stranger. “I have come to try and save the Prince.”

“This is his final chance and you are the one he sends?” The man shakes his head, almost in pity, Perhaps the King is losing it in his desperate attempt to get his son back. “Very well, you may…  _ try _ , though it may cost you your life.”

“My life is not more important than his and he should be returned home.”

The man steps aside to let him in, ushering Edward into the castle and taking him to the room where the three images wait for him. The man leaves him, warning him to choose carefully and that he will be back in one hour. Desperately, Edward looks from one veil to the next, trying to figure out which of them hides Richard under it. Just as he is losing hope - as he’s  _ sure  _ his time is almost up - a swarm of bees fly through the window and circle the three veils. They fly back from the one on the right, for the smell of fire, blood, and smoke is strong on the dragon concealed underneath it. Next they move to one on the left before flying away, for there is no scent under it at all. 

Finally they settle on the middle one, flying around the top of the image’s head and. “You are sure about this?” Edward asks, and the bees continue to swarm around the head of the middle image, breaking away and darting out the window as the door starts to creak open. Edward does not hesitate when the man steps into the room; not even giving him a chance to respond as he speaks confidently. “The middle one.”

The man is furious. How? How could this  _ nobody  _ figure it out when all three images looked exactly the same from this side? What did he have that a bunch of well trained Knights at the castle did  _ not  _ have? He begrudgingly waves a hand, a deal is a deal after all, and the veil in the middle falls, revealing a waking Richard beneath it. 

The veil on the right falls next, showing the dragon underneath it while the left reveals nothing. In any normal circumstances Edward would be terrified of a dragon, but not this one. Ashley sits perfectly still where she is, her eyes showing recognition at Edward’s presence, and then she slowly tilts her head to nudge at the face of her true owner to try and speed up his waking process. With the enchantment on Richard now breaking, Ashley is no longer under the control of the sorcerer, waiting for Richard’s command on what to do. 

Richard raises a hand tiredly, strokes at the dragon’s face and utters one simple word that makes Edward tense. “Krii.”

Ashley roars, lunges forward and makes a quick step around Edward to get to the sorcerer. Richard may have been sleeping for almost a year, but he had been able to hear everything. He knows why this man has taken him - what he’s been making his father do - and that is not something that he wants to happen again - to anyone. As the sleep finally lifts from his brain completely, Richard registers Edward standing in the room, just a few steps away. Richard crosses the space between them in quick strides, wrapping his arms around the other man and pulling him into his chest, blocking the view of what’s happening in the room - though he cannot block out the sounds of crunching bones, tearing flesh, and screams.

“Edward why...”

“Thank Stanley. He sent me. He said I could do it - that I could bring you home.”

Going home is both wonderful and annoying. Richard only wants to spend time with Edward, and takes any chance he can get to give him passing sneaky touches. The return of the Prince warrants nothing less than a week long celebration in which Richard just can’t manage to get time alone with Edward between the parties and the fact he current has an armed guard outside of his room. Edward who had saved him - who hasn’t told anyone except for Richard how he’s managed to do something that no one else could. To anyone else, he passed a simple test of logic. It’s Edward’s understanding that no one would believe a bunch of bees he’d helped in the woods had decided to return one tiny action and had shown him which illusionary veil had hidden the Prince. Only he and Richard needed to know that part. 

It was towards the end of the week when Richard had apparently reached the point of the itch that was impossible to scratch. He passes Edward in a hallway in the middle of the afternoon and his hand curls around his wrist, dragging him back in the direction he’s just come from. Edward lets out a yelp and stumbles behind him, trying not to attract too much attention to them as he’s lead to Richard’s room and the door slams behind them.

Richard shoves Edward against the door, dipping his head down to connect their mouths. “It has been a whole week and you have yet to claim a reward, Edward.”

“I did not save you for a reward. I just wanted you home.”

“You succeeded,” Richard pauses, pressing a kiss just under Edward’s ear, “and my father promised a reward to the one who succeeded. That would be you.”

“He cannot give me what I want.”

Richard grins and turns them, facing Edward’s back in the direction of his bed. “That is where you are mistaken. You see, my father is very adamant about giving you a reward but you have refused everything offered.” He pushes Edward back until the bed prevents them from going any further and he teeters on the spot. “So he came to me and asked me what I thought you should have for doing what no one else could.”

“Richard we have been over this. It was not me that did it.”

“You  _ were  _ technically the one to bring me home.” Richard points out, leaning forward so Edward has no choice but to lean back until he falls on the bed. “So like I was saying. He came to me to ask me what I thought you should have for doing what no on else could do and I thought of the perfect reward for you.” He leans down, nudging his nose against Edward’s. “It is something that you have wanted for a long time. He agreed to the reward I suggested.”

“Richard what did you do?”

Richard brushes his nose against Edward’s, leaning in to kiss him. “I got you a higher station so I can marry you. Well, technically I got you the station back you should have had. Like you said, there are laws. So,  _ Lord  _ Edward, if you do not mind, I would like to reward my future husband for  _ technically  _ saving me.”

It’s the first time Edward has allowed himself to get lost in the sex since they no longer have to hide what they are or who they are with. He’s allowed to claw his nails down the length of Richard’s back and Richard is allowed to bite down on Edward’s shoulder hard enough to break the skin and leave a bruise. They can leave as many marks as they want on each other now, and Richard plans to with every kiss and bite he delivers to Edward’s skin. More importantly, they don’t have to rush. They can take their time fully, and  _ really  _ discover what makes the other feel good. They spend all night doing this, discovering every little area that drives the other crazy, taking their time to really make the other feel like they’re floating.

Edward doesn’t have to worry about oversleeping and not being able to sneak out the following moring while it’s still dark before anyone other than Michael is awake anymore. For once, he wakes when it’s light, using Richard as a pillow while their bodies are tangled together under the sheets with Richard’s arms wrapped around him.

It’s the first time either of them have really felt at ease; a feeling that they know isn’t going to fade any time soon.


End file.
